Domestic Violence

The NCBW RMAC aim to take an active role in advocating on
behalf of women of color who are victimized by their intimate partners in the
name of love. Reports indicate that domestic
violence is a complex and distinct type of violence. The intimacy between the
victim and the perpetrator is interpreted historically as a private affair and
out of the reach of the law. Oftentimes, the hidden site of the violence
perpetuates the notion that it is okay to engage in domestic violence
relationships.

Factors that complicate domestic violence include
financial dependency on the abuser, jealousy, disrespect, distrust, disdain history
and familiarity with the perpetrator.Women who have the courage to complain about domestic violence are often
confronted with intimidation, retaliation, and stigmatization. Hence, domestic
violence incidents are not reported for legal prosecution. It is mandatory lawmakers
in the United States implement preventive measures to eliminate domestic
violence against women. Until this occurs, the notion of progressive women’s
right is an illusion.

Each year in the United States approximately one to five
million women suffer nonfatal domestic violence from an intimate partner.Women are five to eight times more prone to
domestic violence than men. Between 1998 and 2002, the United States Department
of Justice reported that 73% of family violence victims were female, 84% of
spouse abuse were female, and 86% of victims of domestic violence committed by
an intimate partner were female.

In the United States, women of color report their
victimization to the police at a higher rate (67%) than white women (50%), men of
color (48%) and white men (45%). A higher level of reported domestic violence
among African Americans, Hispanics, American Indian and Alaska Native women and
immigrants is correlated with significant levels of poverty in minority and
immigrant communities.African Americans
and Hispanics make up 22.8% of the population, but account for 47.8% of those
living in poverty.Poorer women
experience a significantly higher rate of victimization by their intimate
partners than women with higher household incomes. The NCBW RMAC recognizes
that it must take an active role in advocating on behalf of women of color who
are victimized by their intimate partners in the name of love.

"There's been an awful lot of silence in male culture about this ongoing tragedy of men's violence against women and children...we need to bread that silence and we need more men to do that." - Jackson Katz -